Railways mulling automatic doors in AC coaches

Railways is mulling installing automatic doors in AC coaches of some premier trains, on the lines of those in Metro, to enhance passengers' safety and check criminal activities on board running trains.
The new system will be controlled by the driver or guard from his cabin and with his command, all the doors will automatically open when train arrives at station, and close when it departs. Currently, train doors are opened and closed manually.
"Train will not move unless all the doors are closed in the automatic door system. The driver and the guard will have command control of the system at their cabins," a senior Railway Ministry official said.

A meeting of the Railway Board was held last week to finalise the proposal for introducing automatic doors system in trains.
"RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) is finalising the specifications for the system to be fitted in a rake of 20 AC coaches in the Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala as a pilot project," the official said.
However, the official said, "Before equipping the first rake with the system, a non-AC coach in Delhi Division will be made operational with the automatic closing door system for trial purpose."

Several lives have been lost with passengers falling off running trains while standing on foot-board.

According to the official, Allahabad High Court had directed Railways to instal automatic doors in passenger coaches to prevent passengers from falling off running trains.
Railways had appealed to the Supreme Court against the order, but the apex court had upheld the High Court decision.